


Illumination in the Theater

by DrVauclair



Category: Deus Ex (Video Games)
Genre: Childhood, Gen, Illuminati, OC background, References to Canon, set before the games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-12-07 19:01:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11629884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrVauclair/pseuds/DrVauclair
Summary: 2005 - Gillian (as a child) and her father Thomas visit an event in an old theater in London and meet certain friends and a very certain acquaintance.





	Illumination in the Theater

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for a prompt I got on ony Tumblr, I was supposed to write a scene from Gillian's (my OC's) childhood, who was born into the Illuminati. So I decided to choose the moment in which she meets Lucius for the very first time and to present how different she was a a child.
> 
> And now I am posting it here.

“Come on, hold still for a moment.”

“It’s too tight.” Gillian squinched up her face in disapproval, as she placed her right pointer finger between the grey collar and her neck - frustratedly trying to ease the navy blue bow-tie. She felt like a slipknot has been placed around her neck, ready to be brought to the hangman.

“I know, and I want to fix it. Why do you always tie them so tight? Didn’t Faulke teach you how to do it properly?”

“He did.” The oddly coloured eyes of the 11-year girl wandered to the elaborately painted and decorated ceiling and avoided to look into her father’s face, afraid she disappointed him again. Sometimes she saw a deep ocean in his eyes. Beautiful, fascinating, calming. and yet it manages to hide its true horrors. She always felt uncomfortable at the ocean. “I just.. don’t want to be here. C– Can’t we just head home? I bet Rufus feels lonely.” 

A soft chuckle escaped between his thin lips as he finally managed to correct the knot around the girl’s neck - relieved, she sighed quietly to herself. “That bad huh? It’s just two hours, Gillian. And I told the others that we are going back home after the show. I won’t accompany them to the after-show party.” Thomas turned her pale face to himself, an encouraging smile bent the neatly trimmed blond beard. “ And I am sure Faulke is taking good care of the Rottweiler. Maybe we find some time to stop by somewhere to get some snacks, what do you say?” A soft clap on her shoulder, and she smiled back shyly and hesitantly. “Yes, that would be nice”. 

Her shaking eyes moved to the ground, pretending to desperately looking for something. A promise for some chicken nuggets wouldn’t ease the pain she felt being here. It felt and wrong standing in this centuries old theatre - an unknown power seems to lean on her shoulders, crushing her young and fragile body under its enormous weight. Everyone was staring at her, expecting something she wasn’t aware of, a test she didn’t even knew of. Every time she looked into their eyes, strangers all of them, she felt like being thrown in front of a jury - judged by every single move. 

A woman in a lavish red dress with a sumptuous golden pattern passed by them and the loud noise her heels made with every step made Gillian flinch, they were way too loud for her sensitive ears. Even after the mysterious creature was already around the corner, nothing but a shadow, the girl could hear the echoes of wood knocking on wood in a irregular rhythm. The distant and muffled noise of different voices merging into one unrecognisable mess - whispers of so many irrelevant lives - started to reach an oppressive level. Like a monster creeping towards her, breathing down her neck, proclaiming its menacing presence. It was unbearable and she squinted her eyes in pain and discomfort, covering her exposed ears with her little hands. Pressing so hard a stinging pain made her temples pulsate. Now she was sure. She must have done something bad and this was her punishment. Maybe, when she just thought about something nice, they all would be gone…

“Is everything alright, Curie?” Thomas turned her head again, with both of his hands, so she couldn’t look away this time. Firmly, but gently, he took her hands down. His face displayed genuine concern as he saw his daughter’s miserable expression. “It’s so..loud here, pa. Too loud. I want it to stop. And why.. are you always calling me that?” Gillian’s voice was shaking as her eyes started to tear up. His soft thumb rubbed over her red cheeks - blushing out of embarrassment. 

“It will stop soon, I promise. The show is about to start in 10 minutes and then”, he snipped with his right hand which left her heated face, as he was trying to control his surroundings like a magician “there will be nothing left but beautiful music. I promise you that.” Another smile, another gentle clap on her shoulder. “Come one, let’s go to our seats. We don’t want the others to wait for us, right? I will tell you on the way why I call you Curie. And don’t worry, I am not senile enough to forget your name, Gillian”. There was a weird emphasis on her name and the little girl noticed the shift in his tone, but she couldn’t quite grasp it. She just nodded obediently, snivelling, and grabbed her father’s calm hand with her trembling one, hoping it all will end sooner when she played along.

“There was a scientist named Marie Curie”, the CEO of Thorndale Industries started to clarify, as his thick posh British accent filled the hallway as they walked down. Gillian always wondered why he always put so much value on her learning Welsh as a second language but also tried his best that she didn’t have the accent. “… and she changed the world with her discovery. She is one of the most well known scientists today and she was a woman. Unthinkable for that time, you must know. And I call her Curie because,” they stopped at a wooden door, presumably it led to the balcony with her seats, and Thomas kneeled once again to smile at his daughter, rubbing her cheek. “You will change the world as well one day, Gillian. You will change it for forever, I am certain of it. And when this day comes, I will be the proudest father on this planet - seeing your work changing it to something truly great and beautiful. You are something special, never forget this - even when the world seems to be against you.”

There was something promising, wishful, in his eyes now - the ocean was truly calm. The tall blond man chuckled as his stood up again and amusedly ruffled his daughter’s short white hair. “But now, it’s time to greet the others don’t you think?” He reached for the golden door knob.

“Paaaaaaaaaaa! Wait!” Gillian quickly and uncoordinated tried to fix her now destroyed haircut with wild and hasty movements. She grunted in disapproval and frustration - she wanted to cry again. Why does she mortify her like that before meeting up with the others? It was a public event! But he just continued to chuckle and smile as he opened the door. “You look great.”

Without making any noises - which pleased the distressed heiress - the door slowly revealed the little balcony they were supposed to take place on. It was beautifully decorated, just like the rest of this theatre, with complex and skilful carving and well upholstered rosewood red chairs. Gillian had the desire to run her thin fingers over them - to feel every single detail of these masterpieces. And, for a short moment, the turmoil was forgotten. 

“Thomas! Gillian! You made it. We got worried you two got lost on the way”. A sharp, yet calm, voice interrupted the girl’s inner appreciation - angry that this flash of ease has been taken from her as quickly as it came. She looked up, indifferently, and spotted a tall man with umber brown skin and a perfectly sitting dark violet coloured three-piece suit. She noticed that he had a new pair of glasses and his skin was as smooth as glass. What a bummer, she like the beard.

“We just had to make a little stop, but I see we made it just in time. Forgive us our little inconvenience, old friend. You look good, I like the glasses”. Thomas firmly shook the hands of the man in front of him, both nearly the same size, before their formal greeting turned into a friendly hug, followed by some laughing and claps on each other’s backs. “It good to see you, Thomas. It has been too long.”

“Hey Gillian, what do we say?”. The white haired girl looked to her father, still in his friend’s arm, as he raised his eyebrows and tilted his head in a playful dunning way. “Good evening, Uncle Morgan.” was the monotone response, how voice barely audible.

“Aw, hello, Gillian. It’s good evening to you too. Aren’t you happy to see me?”

“Y-y–yes, I am.” She liked Uncle Morgan, she really did. He visits them in their house in London quite often and sometimes he spends some time with them in their Wrexham residence as well. He always brings her little gifts she actually finds useful, like little experimental kits or interesting books - not the boring stuff she gets from the others. It was obvious that there was a special connection between him and her father and she had a feeling that he geniunely cared for her. Yes, she liked him. So she mechanically walked up towards him as soon as he kneeled down with open arms to give her a welcoming hug as well. He smelled like lemon grass. It calmed her down a bit and loosed her stiff limbs. 

“Sorry, Princess, but I don’t have anything for you this time. This is a cute little bow-tie you got there.” His voice was deep and soothing as ever and Gillian couldn’t remember a moment in which it was any different. The man was on an even kneel and she always wanted to know his secret. “It’s….ok”. Slowly she separated herself from him, unsure why she was so elliptical this time and unable to act like a normal human being. Once again she quietly grunted to herself, disappointed.

“Oh, she tied that one herself! Gil, you don’t have to stay with us adults, if you don’t want to. Just go ahead and take a seat. I will join you in a bit.” Slowly she turned her head to the familiar voice, and nodded hesitantly. Gillian was secretly grateful that he finally gave her the permission to escape this awkward situation and tried to return the little smile he gave her - but it just turned out to be a meager twitch of her thin lips. Just a few steps and she reached the row with their seats and just now she noticed that no one was here besides them - the balcony was strangely forsaken. A balcony just for the three of them? The monster was trying to creep back to her, eager to breath down her neck again with its warm and humid breath, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. The thought of just them being here defeated it, cut the heavy knot in her stomach and she could finally breath again. 

As she let the soft cushion embrace her body, she closed her eyes and was able to forget the spinning world for a moment. Now she could see herself effectively survive this dreadful social activity - contemplating why this was even a thing or of significance. A friendly nod here, slack handshake there, a fake smile accompanied by fake personalities. Why did adults even engage in this game? She shook her head. This was non of her concern. Breath in, breath out. This is what Hunter always told her. Yes, breath in, breath out. Just two hours and she will see her dog again. A nice image to look forward to. 

“Thomas, there is something we need to discuss. I have wonderful news”.

There it was again, Uncle Morgan’s charming voice. With her eyes still closed, she always saw warm, auburn colours when he spoke. He always felt like…autumn. So colourful, calming. For now, it was just a distance dream.

“Can it wait? The show is about to start” Soft tones of waves cautiously showed up, filling the room with the refreshing smell of bay salt.

“I would prefer to take care of the matter now, it should be quick. It’s about Project Echelon.” The golden and red leaves rustled in the wind.

“What about it?” The waves suddenly became more turbulent, crashing against the coast, dark clouds slowly approached.

“It has been relocated to 51. We managed it, my friend. We really did it.” The wind turned into a soft breeze and the sun broke through the heavy curtain.

“Really? This..the possibilities we have now..” 

Gillian opened her eyes and leaned to the top, peeking over the head cushion, to look at the men holding each other again. She had no idea what they were talking about, but the daydream she just had and the sight in front of her made her happy. 

“Aren’t you a curious little girl?” 

Startled, feeling she was caught in an illegal act, she erraticly turned around and stared at the man sitting in the chair next to her. Her body became paralysed, her differently coloured eyes wide open. But the old man, with his wrinkled skin, hair white as her own, just smiled at her in a mischievous way. Gillian could feel her heart racing, beat right beneath her chin, and cold sweat covered her anaemic body. She couldn’t tell what frightened her more. The fact that this man managed to approach her this easily, that she couldn’t tell whether he was sitting there all the time or sneaked up to her, or that uncongenial, nearly chocking, atmosphere that surrounded him. For a short moment she hallucinated a dark presence around him. She buried her short nails into the chair.

“Oh, forgive me, where are my manners? A gentleman always should introduce himself to a lady. DeBeers, Lucius DeBeers. And you must be Gillian, am I correct? Such a pleasantness to finally meet you.”

Unable to speak, she just nodded rigidly and couldn’t stop staring into the man’s blue eyes. They were even deeper than her father’s, mesmerizing, yet utterly terrifying. Her own eyes teared up again and she tried her best to suppress the urge to yell out loud and run away. Although his man, who certainly was older than 70, was just calmly sitting there and doing nothing but talk and smile, there was something wrong with him. Something deep inside of her told her he shouldn’t be here and that she should keep her distance. Maybe he was just a personification of her deepest fear, maybe she was just dreaming, maybe..

“Ah Lucius, I didn’t know you would come as well! How are you?” 

All of the sudden Thomas was sitting to her left and leaning forward to greet the man sitting to her right. But before she could even realise what was happening, the lights slowly died and the first tones of the orchestra below them filled the room.


End file.
